Arts & Crafts

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring

Add oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients, and mix well. As you knead it, the dough will get smoother. Store in airtight container. Very pliable and easy to roll or sculpt.

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup powdered milk

Knead until smooth.

This beautifully-colored, scented, (but non-appetizing), playdough recipe idea comes to us courtesy of Kim Lindemann, a visitor to this webpage. After making a batch, Mr. Dwight Young reports that his sixth graders "...like it so much that they tell each other to behave and not fling it about the classroom because they don't want it taken away before their turn to use it comes up!"

Try a variety of Kool Aid flavors and colors (grape & orange are our favorites)... Also, Kim suggests adding little alum to the dry ingredients to preserve the playdough for a longer time. Many thanks go to Kim for this recipe suggestion!

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Kool Aid

Add one package of Kool Aid mix, oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients, and mix well. As you knead it, the dough will get smoother. Store in airtight container. Delightfully scented, very pliable and easy to roll or sculpt.

Use cookie cutters or mold Salt Clay by hand, then bake in a 300 degree oven for use in creating refrigerator magnets, jewelry, ornaments, keychains, necklaces, and more.

Stir together:
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Knead well until it forms a soft ball. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, make the shapes you want, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees or until hard (about one hour).

You can use food coloring to color dough before you bake it, or paint it afterwards. A finishing coat of shellac or clear acrylic will make your salt clay products last longer. Thanks go to Bobbi for requesting this useful recipe!

Starting with an 8 1/2 x ll" sheet of paper, fold the paper in half lengthwise. Next, fold down the corners as shown in the figure at left below. Then fold each side down to the center again, and then again as shown in the illustration below. If desired, planes may be decorated with crayons, markers, stickers, etc.

1 cup water
1/3 cup dish soap (Joy, Sunlight, etc)
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

Combine ingredients and enjoy. If you don't have bubble blowers around the house, be creative and try using different objects from your utensil drawer, (e.g., apple corer, potato masher, handle of a basting brush, etc. They work.)

1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
food coloring

Mix ingredients in saucepan. Boil until mixture thickens. Allow to cool, then pour into jars or other storage containers and color with food coloring. Best used on a glossy paper, such as butcher or shelf paper.

Corn starch
Water
Food coloring (optional)

Put cornstarch in bowl. Add enough water to make a paste. If desired, you may also add food coloring. This makes a messy slime that goes from liquid to solid, and is great fun to play with. This recipe (or green playdough) is especially fun to make after reading Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss!

1 cup rice
Approximately 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol
Food coloring
Paper
Elmer's glue

To color rice, add a few drops of food coloring to alcohol in a jar or ziploc bag. Add rice and shake. Let dry on waxed paper. (Caution: This makes a MESS! Wear an apron and cover work area with newspaper.)

Children put some glue on a piece of paper and sprinkle rice onto it. 

If you don't have the time or the patience to make colored rice, kids can also make great collages using any number of everyday items. If you have noodles, beans, split peas or other dry goods in your cupboard, you have the makings for a fun and interesting collage.

* P.S. The above recipe is an improvement over our earlier one. Many thanks to Sherry for e-mailing us with the information that rubbing alcohol instead of water produces a more brightly colored collage! She also notes that you can use this recipe for dying any type of pasta noodle as well.

Large pinecones

Peanut butter (Birds prefer chunky over smooth!)

Shortening

Cornmeal

Birdseed (optional)

Fishing line, string or yarn

Wrap and tie string to top of pinecone. Mix peanut butter, shortening, (such as bacon fat or melted suet), and cornmeal. Then, spread the mixture onto a large pinecone. Hang your bird feeder in a spot where you can watch the birds eat. Note: If you use smooth instead of chunky peanut butter, you may want to mix in a little bird seed for added interest and enjoyment.

 

Did you know? Birds have trouble digesting peanut butter! It can also get stuck in their beaks. This is why bird experts recommend the addition of shortening and cornmeal when preparing homemade birdfeeders of this type. Many thanks to John and Samantha for e-mailing us to revise this recipe accordingly.